Board of Trustees

In partnership with the headmaster, the Board provides leadership and a framework within which the faculty and administration work to advance the Mission of the School. Their connection to the School is deep and personal. As committed volunteers, the Board members offer their services, wisdom, and support to assist the community of students we serve. They champion the School as it is now and visualize what it can be in the future by serving on working committees such as Development, Education and Student Life, Endowment, Facilities, Finance, and the Committee on Governance to maintain the health of the School. To learn more about our trustees, click on each name below to view individual biographies.

Officers

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Anton P. Giedt, President

Anton (Tony) Giedt became involved with St. Andrew's in 2012 when his daughter Courtney (Class of ’15) began at St. Andrew's as a sophomore after the family moved to Rhode Island from Massachusetts. Tony also served as a committee member and chairman for the Manchester-Essex Regional School District School Committee in Manchester-Essex, Massachusetts, from 2004-2012. He is an attorney with more than 30 years of experience and currently serves as senior corporate counsel for IGT Global Solutions Corporation in Providence, RI. In 2014 Tony retired from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts where he served as an assistant United States attorney and senior litigation counsel representing the United States in civil litigation and prosecuting federal criminal matters. Tony graduated from the University of California, San Diego, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Economics and received his law degree from the American University, Washington College of Law, in Washington, D.C. Tony and his wife Nancy reside in Providence and also have a son named Jason.

Nina Brodeur, Vice President

Nina Brodeur’s relationship with St. Andrew’s began in 2002 when her son Matt was enrolled. She was an involved parent and active volunteer at St. Andrew’s School until his graduation in 2009. She serves on the St. Andrew's Finance Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee on Cuttyhunk. A graduate of Tulane University, Nina has been the owner of numerous businesses, including the Allen House Inn and the Corner Store in Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts. She resides on the island of Cuttyhunk with her husband Mark.

Nina believes strongly in St. Andrew’s and the work we do with students to give them the confidence to succeed. Evidence of the School’s success is seen in Matt’s life — they say “we gave their son back to them.”

Eric B. Mack '00, Secretary

Eric Mack is an associate at Littler Mendelson, P.C. and was named Rising Star — Rhode Island, Super Lawyers, 2012 and 2013. He received his law degree from Tulane University School of Law and is a 2004 graduate of Tufts University. He has been involved with St. Andrew’s School for more than 15 years and is currently a trustee at Highlander Charter School and on the Board of Directors at the Urban League of Rhode Island. Eric resides in Fall River and his two brothers Antone and Anthony are graduates of St. Andrew’s Class of 2010.

"St. Andrew's has provided me with opportunities that I could not have had anywhere else — opportunities that have allowed me to become the person I am today. It is a place that has changed my life forever, and the people I met there have become part of my family."

Joel Legon, Treasurer

Joel Legon spent more than 40 years with public multi-national corporations in various finance and accounting positions, the last one being the chief financial officer of Comverse Technology, Inc. Prior to Comverse, Joel was the chief financial officer of Avid Technology, Inc.; SVP finance, corporate controller of Parametric Technology, Inc.; and corporate controller of NEC America, Inc. Joel was also a board member of Ulticom, Inc., a publicly traded company.

Since leaving Comverse, Joel has joined the boards and/or finance committees of Sophia Academy, The Center for Women and Enterprise, and Meeting Street.

Joel has a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Oklahoma and is a CPA. He and his wife Janet have three grown daughters and two grandsons and live in Barrington, RI.

Members

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David Brown has served as treasurer, vice president, and president of trustees and is a devoted and supportive alumnus of St. Andrew's School. He is president and owner of the Whittet-Higgins Company, which he established in 1966, a manufacturer of mechanical power transmission equipment. David received his MBA in 1962 from Harvard University and is a 1956 graduate of Brown University. Since his graduation in 1952, David has given much of his time and talent. He was instrumental in the concept and development of The David A. Brown '52 Science Center, which was named in his honor in September of 2000. David resides in East Providence with his wife Susan.

Pamela C. Faulkner has been a member of the Board of Trustees for 25 years and has served as president of the Board. She is a Board member and the development chair for the Providence Public Library Foundation, and serves on the Board of Trustees and is a founding member of Tap-In, Inc. She has been active at St. John's Church in Barrington, where she has served as senior warden. Mrs. Faulkner is a past president of the Junior League of Rhode Island. She lives in Barrington with her husband, Robert.

"I have stayed so long on the St. Andrew's Board because I passionately believe in its mission. I have seen close up what the school can do, especially the teachers, for its students. It brings me the greatest joy when I run into a parent and hear, 'St. Andrew's has changed my child's life. I don't know what would have happened if we hadn't found St. Andrew's.'"

Audrey R. Kupchan, MD, of Barrington is a practicing internal medicine doctor with Coastal Medical. Prior to this, she worked with Rhode Island Group Health Association (RIGHA) and then Harvard Pilgrim Health Care-NE (HPHC-NE). Kupchan is a graduate of Union College. She attended Cornell University Medical College in New York City, after which she completed The Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency at Rhode Island Hospital. Kupchan has been involved with the St. Andrew’s Parent Association (SAPA) for six years. She has been involved with various committees and has helped out with various St. Andrew’s events. She is co-chair of the Development Committee. In regards to other organizations, Kupchan has been involved with committees such as Strategic Planning (Synagogue), re-writing by-laws (RIGHA), and Pension Committee and Governance Committee (Coastal Medical). There have been numerous ad-hoc committees on which she has served throughout her career as well, and in the past she has held administrative positions as chief of medicine and health center director for HPHC-NE. Kupchan resides in Barrington with her husband Sam Havens and sons Daniel (Class of '12) and David (Class of '14) DeLuca.

Sarah Shea McConnell is the commissioner for the City of Providence Park Commission and board president for Sophia Academy. She graduated from Providence College with a bachelor of arts and received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rhode Island College. Shea McConnell has served on the Dorcas Place Adult & Family Literacy Board of Directors and as Diversity Committee chair and vice-chair for the Gordon School Board of Trustees. She has also been a Democratic National Convention delegate in 1996 and 2004. Currently, she resides in Providence with her husband Jack and they are the parents of Catherine, Margaret, and John (Class of '15).

Karen Pelczarski of Barrington concentrates on mediations and appeals in the Law Office of Karen Pelczarski in Providence, RI. Pelczarski was certified as a mediator in 2008 and previously was a partner at a law firm for more than 25 years. She is an experienced trial and appellate attorney with a varied practice, which includes business, estate, employment, environmental, and personal injury litigation. She is admitted to practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts state and federal courts, as well as in the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Pelczarski received her bachelor's degree with honors in music and economics from Wellesley College. She received her law degree from Boston College Law School, attending the University of Pennsylvania during her final year of law school. She has been active in the Rhode Island Bar Association and a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association. She belongs to the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association and is also a lifetime member of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation. Pelczarski was appointed by Chief Judge Ernest Torres to membership on the United States District Court Conference Advisory Committee. She has assumed active leadership roles in many civic and cultural organizations. In 1986, she co-founded and later served as president of The Music School, Inc. until it merged with the Rhode Island Philharmonic. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the President's Council at Providence College. Karen resides in Barrington with her husband Richard M. Field, Jr.

Mark A. Ross retired from his position as vice president of Ross-Simons Jewelers, a top retailer of fine jewelry, tableware, gifts, and collectibles. Mark is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island (URI), which he continues to enthusiastically support as a member of the College of Arts & Sciences Dean's External Advisory Council, a board member for URI Hillel, and a member of numerous other committees and supporter of activities at URI. Mark has served since 1999 as a trustee of St. Andrew’s School during which time he has been a strong presence on the Development Committee, which he currently co-chairs. He also serves on the Boards of Dorcas International Institute Rhode Island and Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Mark and his wife Donna live in Warwick, RI, and are the parents of two sons, Jared and Seth (Class of '00). Jared is a graduate of George Washington University and Seth is a graduate of Curry College.

Greg Stento’s family has been connected to St. Andrews for over fifty years and he shares a deep commitment to the school’s mission that has shaped multiple generations of his family. For the past three years, he has served on the School’s Endowment Committee. Greg has been an active private markets investor for almost three decades, the last twenty years at HarbourVest Partners, a global provider of solutions for investors to access the private markets, where he serves on the firm’s Global Investment Committee and Executive Leadership Team. Prior philanthropic activities have included advocating for individuals with developmental disabilities and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Greg received a BS (with distinction) from Cornell University in 1982 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1989. Greg and his wife, Betsy, reside in Wellesley, MA, and have four children.

Alfred B. Van Liew is managing and founding partner at Van Liew Trust Company. He was elected to the Board of Trustees shortly after his daughter Elizabeth (Class of '84) graduated from St. Andrew's and is a past president of the Board. Prior to establishing the Van Liew Trust Company, he served for 24 years at Rhode Island Hospital Trust, where he held a number of roles. He is active in many charitable, yachting, and civic organizations. Van Liew earned his bachelor of arts from Brown University.

"Whatever the reason for a child to be at St. Andrew's, seeing so many transformations from a struggle to a success, and being so close to the process, continues to excite me. Thanks to St. Andrew's, our children and grandchildren have a resource to help them develop to their potential."

Ben is a 2008 graduate of St. Andrew's and has been involved with the School in different capacities since. He graduated with a bachelor of arts from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, in 2012. He has served on the Board of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association and is currently serving on the Taco/The White Family Foundation Board. Professionally, Ben works as the integration manager corporate development for Taco Comfort Solutions, a Rhode Island-based global manufacturer of components for the HVAC industry. He currently resides in Nashville, TN, with his wife Kirsten.

President Emeritus

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Norman E. McCulloch, Jr. and his wife Dorothy are principals of the McAdams Charitable Foundation focusing on primary and secondary public education issues and other educational priorities. Mr. McCulloch has been on the Board of Trustees since 1964 and though he has been on several school and college boards, he is particularly committed to the mission of St. Andrew's. He interprets this as serving the needs of those students who have found educational frustrations in traditional educational settings, either public or private.

"I am not interested in traditional independent schools for there are ample numbers of them. However, there is only one St. Andrew's School and it is the unique differences in serving this particular cadre of students who truly need us that has earned my abiding commitment to the School."